Orono students focus on history

Under the leadership of Brian Kafura, the Orono seventh grade class participated in National History Day in Minnesota.

Students, in partnership with their social studies and English teachers, put together projects based on this year’s theme of “Turning Points in History.” The students have worked for four months to demonstrate their knowledge on a topic of their choice under the theme. A large variety of topics were presented on from the clean indoor air act, Title IX to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire.

The students choose a topic that has interest to them, research that topic in and out of class, and present their research in one of five presentation categories: Research Paper, Exhibit, Documentary, Performance, or Website. Students may then enter their projects into History Day competitions at school, at the regional level, at the state level, and at the national levels.

After evaluation at the school level, many students advanced to the district competition where they again demonstrated the knowledge by showcasing their projects to a panel of judges, and a select few were selected to continue on to compete at the convention center on April 20 at the State level.

Minnesota History Day is in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota and is a great opportunity for students to build skills in presentation, preparation and research. (Submitted photo)